Shoreditch thrives on creative energy, and in 2026 that energy expands eastward as the V&A East Museum opens on East Bank in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Set for 18 April 2026, the museum arrives with a bold mission: to celebrate making, creativity and the power of culture to shape how we understand the world.
The opening marks a significant moment for London’s creative community. As Shoreditch artists, technologists and designers continue to influence global culture, V&A East steps in as a partner to amplify those voices on a major international stage.
The museum positions itself not just as a venue for exhibitions but as a civic space where dialogue, experimentation and collaboration take centre stage.
A New Cultural Ecosystem for East London
Located beside London College of Fashion, the BBC, Sadler’s Wells East and UCL East, V&A East Museum strengthens the creative corridor forming across East Bank. Designed by O’Donnell + Tuomey, the five-storey museum is shaped around openness: open views, open access, open conversation.
Gus Casely-Hayford, V&A East Director, describes it as a place where communities meet global ideas. He emphasises the importance of creativity in responding to today’s challenges, from climate change to cultural fragmentation. His vision aligns with the ethos shaping East London and the wider MiS audience: creativity not as decoration, but as a tool for change.
This expanded ecosystem echoes themes explored in our feature on London’s best creative hubs for artists and entrepreneurs, which highlights how integrated cultural districts elevate community impact.
Inside the Why We Make Galleries
The heart of V&A East Museum lies in its two free permanent galleries, Why We Make. Spanning two floors, these galleries explore ten themes that examine the relationship between making, identity, representation and social change.
Visitors will encounter more than 500 objects from different countries, cultures and centuries. Works range from Italian Renaissance paintings and 16th-century scent cases to an 18th-century Spitalfields silk dress and 19th-century coral jewellery from India and Tibet. The galleries present these pieces not as isolated artefacts but as parts of a shared global narrative.
New acquisitions by creatives such as Yinka Ilori, Bisila Noha, VIN + OMI, Molly Goddard, and the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives Ladakh reflect the museum’s commitment to contemporary makers. Meanwhile, zines from east London collectives such as One of My Kind and Rabbits Road Press bring hyperlocal culture into conversation with international histories.
This blend of global and local echoes themes we explored in our feature on top creative spaces in Shoreditch and shows how place continues to shape artistic identity.
A Landmark Opening: The Music Is Black
One of the most anticipated moments of opening week is the museum’s first major exhibition, The Music Is Black: A British Story. Spanning from 1900 to the present day, the exhibition traces the influence of Black British music on British culture and beyond.
Pieces on display include Joan Armatrading’s childhood guitar, fashion worn by Little Simz, and photographs by Jennie Baptiste, Dennis Morris, Eddie Otchere and Sam White. The exhibition examines not only musical innovation but also resilience, activism and the deep cultural contributions that have shaped generations.
The show’s impact is amplified through a partnership with BBC Music, which will bring expanded programming and storytelling across both physical and digital platforms.
For MiS readers with a passion for nightlife and sound culture, this exhibition builds on East London’s long history of musical experimentation, a history captured in our classic feature on late bars and clubs in Shoreditch.
Creative Commissions Across East Bank
Opening week will also reveal the first cycle of V&A East’s new six-monthly creative commissions. The programme launches with eight new artworks by Tania Bruguera, Es Devlin, Lawrence Lek, Rene Matić, Shahed Saleem, Justinien Tribillon, Carrie Mae Weems and Laura Wilson.
Each commission responds to East London’s creative legacy and its future. Works will appear across both museum sites, V&A East Museum and the already acclaimed V&A East Storehouse, which opened in 2025.
A monumental new piece by Thomas J Price titled A Place Beyond will greet visitors at the museum entrance. Its scale and presence reinforce the museum’s ambition to become a public anchor for culture and community.
This type of large-scale creative intervention mirrors what we often see in Shoreditch’s public art scene, and aligns with themes explored in our guide to the best streets for street art in Shoreditch.
Why V&A East Matters for Shoreditch Creatives
For the creative community based in Shoreditch, V&A East Museum offers a new cultural partner just a short Overground ride away. Its approach, collaborative, interdisciplinary and socially engaged, reflects the evolving identity of East London’s makers.
The museum’s co-created approach, developed with young people, students and local residents, positions it as a living cultural laboratory. Its emphasis on wellbeing, representation and environmental action mirrors the concerns shaping creative practice today.
For founders, designers, technologists and cultural producers, V&A East provides new opportunities for partnership, visibility and experimentation. Its presence strengthens the broader creative network that MiS showcases regularly, from coworking spaces in Shoreditch to innovative tech startups transforming East London.
Connecting History, Community and Global Culture
What makes V&A East Museum so significant is its layered approach to creativity. It does not present culture as a static archive but as a conversation between past and present, local and global, personal and collective.
“V&A East Museum is for you,” says Casely-Hayford, a statement that reflects his vision for a museum where people find belonging, inspiration and the tools to create their own narratives.
This sentiment resonates deeply with the creative communities MiS represents. East London has always been a place where ideas mix, where heritage informs innovation and where creativity drives cultural change. V&A East steps into that landscape as both witness and collaborator.
When the museum opens its doors in April 2026, it will not simply add another institution to the map. It will expand the cultural possibilities available to everyone living and working across East London, and offer Shoreditch creatives a powerful new space to see their stories reflected and amplified.